BuzzClip Wearable Let's Blind People Move Around Safely

How wearable technology is helping change our lives is something I like to talk about. The people are more conscious about their health these days as they learn a lot about their body through wearable such as fitness bands, smartbands, etc. The technology is now expanding its horizons to something more valuable.

The BuzzClip has launched a versatile wearable, which would help people that are blind or partially sighted. The device uses wearable assistive technology that would help in navigating the visually impaired user. The initiative to empower these people is started by iMeciv technologies.

According to the stats from the company, there are over 314 million visually impaired people in the world, out of that 45 million people are totally blind. Our streets are not like before; it’s getting crowded with every day passes by.

Orientation and moving around outside is difficult for a person living with blindness or partial sight. There are hazardous obstacles scattered all over the city, which are difficult to detect unless you have a help of a family member or any other person.

You ask how the BuzzClip works. Well, it uses the ultrasound technology to detect the obstacles in the wearer’s path. It will detect any object within 1 meter of your path, and would alert you that there is an obstacle in front of you. It is designed discreetly and offers a hands-free solution as it can be attached to your clothing easily. The company claims that its versatile design allows it to be fit on any clothing.

The BuzzClip addresses the major weakness of detecting the obstacles above the waist, particularly at the head level. The traditional aids such as cane or guide dog don’t always address these issues. Whereas this wearable encourages an active lifestyle and would reduce the fear of mobility among the blind peoples.

The Clip packs an accurate proximity sensor that can detect anything coming into its range of detection. The sensor ensures that the lighting conditions or any transparent object don’t interfere the functionality of the device. All thanks to the sound waves it sends and receiving in real-time, the received information is circulated to the wearer via intuitive vibrations.

The device offers two ranges; a 1 meter and a 2-meter range. The users can gauge the distance to an object, and this can be done within the specified range through intuitive vibrations from the BuzzClip. The frequency and intensity of the vibration increase as an obstacle get closer to the user. At around an arm’s length, there will be three quick vibrations warning to stop. You can switch between 1 meter and 2-meter modes by simply twisting the top piece of the BuzzClip.

The battery on this thing lasts up to 10 hours, taking the rigorous usage in consideration. Charging it is pretty simple, as it comes with standard micro-USB cable. And it’s quite easy to understand the battery level. 4 Vibrations indicate the battery if above 75%, 3 vibrations indicates the battery is between 50-75 while he 2 indicates its in 25-50 percent range. If it vibrates one time, then understand that battery is lower than 25%, and you need to charge it as soon as possible.

The company is offering the BuzzClip at $129 for the 100 early birds while it should retail for around $149. The product is expected to ship sometime in March-April next year.

Note: If you’re reading this, then I would urge you to back this project and empower the visually impaired in doing so. Spreading the word to the families and friends of such peoples would be appreciated. Or maybe you can gift the BuzzClips to blind children and students in the world. Check out the campaign on Indiegogo to know how you can help.